Well that was one of the more exciting first rounds in a while! There were a lot of moving parts and interesting outcomes for some of the more notable players in this class. I am not here to predict these players futures, and yes I get grades an hour after the round are silly, but let’s react anyway!

New Faces in New York

The Big Apple was one of the epicenters of this year’s draft, as the Jets broke in a new regime and the Giants hierarchy looked to save their jobs. First Big Blue went BPA, using the third pick on stud Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter. Carter should make an immediate impact on this team, think Micah Parsons with a bit more power. But Carter, let’s be honest, was the low hanging fruit of the night. The real fun began as we waited to see if the Giants would go after a QB, and they did just that after acquiring the 25th pick from the Texans.

We had heard the Giants liked certain QB’s over others throughout this process. After being unable to acquire the number 1 pick, they turned their attention to Ole Miss signal caller Jaxson Dart. Dart is an interesting case, a player that rose once the offseason actually began, with his stock leading to some at times out of control takes. But in the end he lands in New York’s crowded QB room with a lot to learn and prove. I don’t dislike his game, but there is work to be done, the question is, do we see him this season?

Rounding out the NYC trio is Armand Membou, a massive tackle out of Missouri. Standing at 6’3”, 324 lbs, Membou is as imposing as they come. But unlike freakish predecessor’s that failed here, he arrives more polished. He should be a safe plug and play option for Aaron Glenn and company, a good first pick to make to begin your tenure in charge. Now the Jets to add more skill to this roster. Though let’s be honest, Tyler Warren would have been way more exciting.

The Hottest Show on the Stip

This one of my favorite picks of the opening round. The Raiders, who are undergoing a major philosophy change under Pete Carroll, wanted to get back to basics. Pete said in his first presser, “we are going to run the ball,” and he found just the man to do it in Ashton Jeanty. The former Boise State Bronco was one of the most exciting players the college game has seen in sometime. He is instantly exhilarating and can turn nothing to something on a dime. He’s a joy to watch and well worth his 7th overall status, now he faces his toughest competition yet…Carrot Top and The Sphere for headlines in Sin City.

Toast of the Town

The Sports world is filled with bizarre stats. For example, did you know the Packers haven’t drafted a receiver in the first round since 2002? Well you do now, or should I say did, because the streak is over. After the Chargers bizarrely took Omarion Hampton (a fine player in his own right) the Packers jumped at the chance to take a big play guy. Their choice was Longhorn star Matthew Golden, who emerged as the season went on to be a favorite amongst scouts. The Texas wideout ran 4.29 in the 40 yard dash, but don’t worry, he plays at the speed too as he runs the full route tree. As Golden took the stage, the Green Bay faithful showered him with cheers, easily the top moment of the night.

Denver Island

If they trademark I want a cut of the profits, don’t forget me Broncos. Though I’m sure they can come up with nickname for their new corner tandem of Patrick Surtain and rookie out of Texas Jahdae Barron. Barron was one of the top prospects at his position coming into the round and fits the Broncos well rounded defense like a glove. The Broncos continue to do tidy work in the offseason under the Sean Payton regime and are shaping up to have a good looking roster that can compete in the AFC.

Wheeling and Dealing

The Browns were busy Thursday night, making a swap with the Jags to kick things off. The trade is a doozy and one that I ultimately think Cleveland benefits from greatly.

The Browns front office did some sharp work here. Not only did the 5th pick this year become Mason Graham, the best defensive tackle in the class, but they also managed to get a first next year. They’re loading up on assets as the roster is in flux this year with their QB injured. Expect them to add a vet QB in a trade (cough Kirk cough) and maybe a young guy on day 2 or 3. They have two picks at the top of the second so they have a chance to really get after it. The conundrum will be that they passed on picking the dynamic Travis Hunter but only time will tell if this all works out for the Jags.

Rapid Fire

Obviously a lot more than just what I discussed above happened, so let’s hit on some more in rapid fire!

• Jihaad Campbell: Of course one of the top Alabama defenders wound up with the Eagles. He fell because of a shoulder injury, but that didn’t stop the great Howie Roseman from pouncing.
• Malakai Starks: Much like Campbell, Starks falling to Baltimore is just so Ravens. Easily one of the best back end guys in the draft, Starks should only improve the Ravens as he pairs with Kyle Hamilton.
• Cowboys: Alabama guard Tyler Booker is a fine pick to replace Zack Martin, but it feels like Dallas is once again stuck in neutral. They need more pop and with skill players on the board that would satisfy needs on offense, they stayed away again. Disappointing from a team in need of life.
• Bears: Colston Loveland is a fine player…but over Tyler Warren?! Feels like the Bears way over thought this pick, especially they already have Cole Kmet on the roster.
• Tyler Warren: Speaking of, the poor guy gets to enjoy Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones next year in Indy.
• Falcons: Oh look Atlanta did more dumb stuff on draft night. The trade up with LA to lose a first next year was bad enough. Doing it to pick James Pearce as a reach is baffling…but that’s the Falcons.
• Chargers: YOU. NEED. RECEIVERS. Omarion Hampton is a talented back, but the Chargers can’t keep sending Justin Herbert out there with subpar weapons every week.
• Emeka Egbuka: Few teams strengthened a strength more than the Buc’s did on Thursday. They used their first round pick to add Ohio State star Emeka Egbuka, one of my favorites, to an offense with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Cade Otten and their stable of picks. Baker Mayfield is gonna have A LOT of fun next year.
• Will Campbell: Line of the night goes to the Pats pick at 4, check it out in the clip below.

Best Available

To wrap things up here is a list of those players still available, heading into Friday’s two rounds.

• Marshall EDGE Mike Green
• Missouri WR Luther Burden
• Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison
• Notre Dame Safety Xavier Watts
• South Carolina Safety Nick Emmanwori
• Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
• Michigan CB Will Johnson
• Texas Safety Andrew Makuba
• Ohio State RB Trayveon Henderson

On twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!